Bruton Parish Church
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Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was established in the 17th century in the Virginia Colony.
Largely through the efforts of its rector, the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin (1869-1939), who came to the parish in 1903, the aged and historic church building was restored by 1907, the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Episcopal Church in America.
In 1924, fearing that the other many historic buildings in the area would be destroyed as time went on, Dr. Goodwin started a movement to preserve the buildings in the district. As his primary source of funding, Dr. Goodwin was fortunate in this effort to sign on John D. Rockefeller Jr., the wealthy son of the founder of Standard Oil. He stimulated Rockefeller's interest in the old city and helped that bloom into the incredible generosity that financed the restoration. Together, they made Dr. Goodwin's remarkable dream of restoring the old colonial capital come true.
Today Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area occupies 173 acres (700,000 m²) and includes 88 original buildings and more than 50 major reconstructions. It is joined by the Colonial Parkway to the two other sides of the Historic Triangle, Jamestown and Yorktown. At Jamestown, England established its first permanent colony in the Americas, and at Yorktown the Continental Army under George Washington won a decisive victory to end British rule.
